Category / EU

Welcome to the EU section of the blog! Emily Cieciura (BU’s Research Facilitator – EU and International), Jo Garrad (Funding Development Manager) and Dianne Goodman (Funding Development Co-ordinator) together try to take the pain out of finding and applying for EU funding by horizon scanning many sources and placing the most important information on this page.

We blog as often as possible on everything from calls for proposals and partner searches, to networking event opportunities, all the latest on Horizon 2020 and international funding. We also use the blog to disseminate information on EUADS (BU’s EU academic training initiative), how to write brilliant proposals, how to find partners and other top tips!

Two fantastic training sessions for EU submissions this week – places still available

EU

The brilliant Dr Martin Pickard of the company Grantcraft will be returning to Bournemouth next week to give 2 days of workshops. Martin has 25 years of winning EU funding and an excellent track record in helping academics write successful proposals.

EU Funding & Grant Writing:With FP7 drafts being released already, I’ve invited Martin to host a one day workshop on EU funding and grant writing, as it is very different from UK funders. I organised this session last year and the feedback we received from staff who attended was excellent“I must say it’s a great workshop, which provides us a number of important points we should pay attention to while drafting our proposals.”. This will take place in K103 (Kimmeridge House, Talbot Campus) on February 15th and all refreshments and lunch will be included. Attending this session will also enable you to access Martin’s excellent reviewing skills for your submission until September, which is fantastic.

Marie Curie Fellowships:  These grants are absolutely the best way to kick start your EU career; they have a fantastic success rate for applications (40%) and you only need one other EU partner. You can either apply to have an academic come to the university from Europe or you can go to another European country as part of the fellowship scheme. BU has had success with Marie Curie grants before and Martin is an absolute expert in writing these types of grant. This session will be dedicated to selecting the right grant for you and how to write a fantastic proposal. This will take place in EB702 (Exec Business Centre, Lansdowne Campus) on February 16th and all refreshments and lunch will be included. Attending this session will also enable you to access Martin’s excellent reviewing skills for your submission until the official deadline in September.

Booking for either day is essential so we can order enough lunch and check everyone will have a chair to sit on and a handout available! Each day will run 9:30-5 and will include lunch and refreshments. Please register for the event here stating which session you would like to attend (you may attend both if you wish), and stating any dietary requirements and any special arrangements you may require for attending.

ESF energy research conference grants up for grabs

EU

The European Science Foundation invites applications for grants to attend the European Forum for Energy Research’s second European energy conference. The conference will be held from 17 to 20 April 2012 in Maastricht, the Netherlands. funding covers the conference fee for doctoral students. This is a fantastic networking opportunity, so if you are eligible then do apply!

FI-WARE Future Internet Research call for partners – this could be a great way to get in to EU research!

EU

FI-WARE is the core platform of the future internet, invites proposals through the Directorate-General for Information Society and Media, for its open call for additional partners.The FI-WARE project has reserved a portion of the project budget to fund specific tasks to be carried out by  new beneficiaries which will join the consortium after start of the project. These later-joining beneficiaries are selected by means of a series of competitive Open Calls.Topics for this call are: middleware for efficient and QoS/security-aware invocation of services and exchange of messages; business models and business elements definition and simulation. The budget for this call is €2 million, of which €1.25m is allocated to middleware proposals and €750,000 to BM and BE proposals. Check out further details on the FI-Ware call webpage. The deadline for submissions is the 25th April 2012.

Two fantastic training sessions for EU submissions in February at BU!

EU

I’m delighted to announce that the brilliant Dr Martin Pickard of the company Grantcraft will be returning to Bournemouth in February. Martin has 25 years of winning EU funding and an excellent track record in helping academics write successful proposals.

EU Funding & Grant Writing:With FP7 drafts being released already, I’ve invited Martin to host a one day workshop on EU funding and grant writing, as it is very different from UK funders. I organised this session last year and the feedback we received from staff who attended was excellent“I must say it’s a great workshop, which provides us a number of important points we should pay attention to while drafting our proposals.”. This will take place in K103 (Kimmeridge House, Talbot Campus) on February 15th and all refreshments and lunch will be included. Attending this session will also enable you to access Martin’s excellent reviewing skills for your submission until September, which is fantastic.

Marie Curie Fellowships:  These grants are absolutely the best way to kick start your EU career; they have a fantastic success rate for applications (40%) and you only need one other EU partner. You can either apply to have an academic come to the university from Europe or you can go to another European country as part of the fellowship scheme. BU has had success with Marie Curie grants before and Martin is an absolute expert in writing these types of grant. This session will be dedicated to selecting the right grant for you and how to write a fantastic proposal. This will take place in EB203(Exec Business Centre, Lansdowne Campus) on February 16th and all refreshments and lunch will be included. Attending this session will also enable you to access Martin’s excellent reviewing skills for your submission until the official deadline in September.

 

Booking for either day is compulsory as numbers are limited and each day will run 9:30-5 and will include lunch and refreshments. Please register for the event here stating which session you would like to attend (you may attend both if you wish), and stating any dietary requirements and any special arrangements you may require for attending.

Funders link up to support you going abroad

EU

Several UK research funders—including research councils, learned societies and charities—have agreed on principles to support researchers going abroad. The organisations have committed to several principles, including “ensuring that researchers who have trained or worked in the UK have access to the information they may require to enable their continuing involvement with the UK research base”.

Another is promoting the Euraxess UK website as a key information portal. The website, providing information and advice for UK research staff, is funded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and managed by the British Council “We are committed to working in partnership with the other funders of academic fellowships to ensure researchers moving in and out of the UK research base have the support they need to make informed decisions,” said Rick Rylance, chairman of RCUK, in a statement.

Miss the FP7 Health Programme Infoday? Don’t worry, slides are available!

EU

The Infoday was organised by the Executive Agency for Health and Consumers (EAHC) who manages the Health Programme on behalf of the European Commission’s Directorate General for Health and Consumers (DG SANCO). Presentations made on the day include advice on administrative procedures and the technical contents of the Call which is open until 9 March 2012. A video and slides of presentations held at a recent Infoday on the 2012 Call for Proposals for the Health Programme (2008-2013) are available here.

Health & Humanities EU funding available over the next few weeks….

EU

Sexual Transmission of HIV within Migrant Groups: The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has published a call for tenders regarding the sexual transmission of HIV within migrant groups and implications for effective interventions.The overall scope and objective of this call for tender is to undertake a systematic literature review complemented with a short survey to Member States, on the subject of sexual transmission of HIV in the EU/EEA in populations of migrants from countries with generalised HIV epidemics. Based on the data gathered, implications and recommendations for HIV prevention strategies and programmes within the EU/EEA should be discussed. The deadline for submitting tenders is 21 February.

Entrepreneurship Education: The European Commission has launched a call for proposals for entrepreneurship education. This call aims to support the implementation of principle 1 of the Small Business Act and the Oslo Agenda for Entrepreneurship Education in Europe.  The Small Business Act recommends stimulating innovative and entrepreneurial mindsets among young people by introducing entrepreneurship as a key competence in school curricula and ensuring that the importance of entrepreneurship is correctly reflected in teacher training. Consequently, the objective of this call is to promote projects with a high added value at European level in education for entrepreneurship.  Actions will target teachers and young people in primary, secondary and tertiary education. Applications must be sent to the Commission no later than 16 April 2012.

Systematic Reviews of Environmental Determinants of Infectious Diseases: The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has published a call for tenders for the provision of systematic reviews of environmental determinants of infectious diseases. The aim is to systematically review the evidence for environmental determinants of infectious diseases both on an ecologic as well as an individual level. The deadline for submitting tenders is 6 March 2012.

Attribution of Social Policies on the Infectious Disease Burden: The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has published a call for tenders for the attribution of social policies on the infectious disease burden. The objective of this study is to disentangle the different contributions of government policies on the infectious disease burden in society.  Specifically, the goal is to identify aetiologic pathways of socio-economic inequalities and their impact on infectious diseases.  Ultimately the aim is to inform policymakers about interventions that have a direct impact on infectious diseases. The deadline for submitting tenders is 6 March 2012.

 

Erasmus Mundus EM-iDEA events in March and July

EU

This is an announcement for the second and third conferences organised by the Erasmus Mundus (EM) Action 3 project EM-iDEA, which will take place in, Lund (Sweden) on March 27th 2012 and Vilnius (Lithuania) on July 13th 2012

The aim of the EM-iDEA project is to bring together those working and interested in Erasmus Mundus projects to exchange and to prepare collective actions. These conferences are two of six regional conferences organised by the project. Three more will be held before July 2013 in Novi Sad, Valencia and Bordeaux. You will find information on the conference which was held in Ghent on the project’s website, where you will also find a newsletter.

You should consider attending one of the sessions if you are working on an existing joint programme of Erasmus Mundus or if you are preparing a new one, if you wish to meet people involved in the implementation of joint programmes or if you would like to participate in the creation of a structured network of professionals with experience in the development and implementation of joint programmes. Have a look and book your place now 🙂

Find collaborators online with citeulike

EU

citeulike is a free service which you can use to store, organize and share papers you are reading. When you see an interesting paper, you can click one button and have it added to your personal library (the citation details are automatically extracted and it works from your web browser so you don’t need to install anything).You can then access your library from any internet related device, as it is stored in an online server.

A real selling point with citeulike I think is the ability to share your library with others and groups, and find out who is reading the same papers as you. Identifying people with similar research interests is a great way to start to network.Another advantage to library sharing is the possibility to discover literature which is relevant to your field but you may not have known about.

citeulike is really intuitive but also has loads of online guides, so why not start having a look now…?

EU Academic Development Scheme deadline at 5pm!

EU

The deadline for the BU EU Academic Development Scheme (EUADS) is today at 5pm – any submissions after this time will not be accepted so please don’t ask!
This  fabulous and unique scheme developed to kick start your career in EU research is open to all BU academic staff interested in, but new to, EU funding who intend to prepare and submit a bid to an EU funder. The EUADS will help you build up to gaining funding by providing excellent group training and bespoke individual mentorship delivered to you by our brilliant experienced internal experts and fantastic external facilitators over a 12 month programme. Included in this scheme is one-to-one contact as frequently as you wish with a dedicated EU expert proposal writer who will help you at every stage of your journey.

As if this training wasn’t fantastic in itself, and the supportive culture of being a cohort undertaking the journey of EU funding extremely appealing, the EUADS also includes an individual fund. Each successful participant will be provided with grants as requested totalling up to a whopping £3k each by to spend on activities supporting bid development. Check out more info on this from my previous blogpost.

Marie Curie calls are coming – register now to get expert help!

EU

It is anticipated that the FP7 Marie Curie Programme will announce its latest calls soon and I want to encourage BU staff to apply. A Marie Curie grant is a great way to begin your EU career as it focuses on researcher mobility and training at all stages and allows you to work with only a single other academic or institute. It also   boasts a high success rate – 40%. You can apply for funding on any topic and for a whole range of activities; basic research, PhDs, Postdoctoral researchers or staff exchanges and you can either apply to work in a European university on your own research project, or apply to have a researcher brought in from abroad to allow you to gain mentoring experience. Fellowships under this scheme usually last for 3 years and support in the region of €33k per year is given to academics going abroad, and to receive a researcher from Europe, BU can receive up to €25k per year.The recent schemes are all listed at the end of this blogpost.

I am proud to say BU staff have successfully gained Marie Curie funding already;  Rudy Gozlan (ApSci) and Bogdan Gabrys (DEC) have shared their experiences on our blog already.

In order to help you get prepared, I’ve organised for an expert Marie Curie bid writer (who has an almost 50% success rate for these proposals) coming in for a one day workshop on February 16th. As well as going through exactly how to write a perfect Marie Curie proposal, he will also review the final draft of your submission for the scheme if you attend the workshop. To find out more, read my recent blogpost and sign up.

Marie Curie Fellowships
Initial Training Networks
  • Aim to improve career perspectives of early-stage researchers through a networking mechanism
  • Direct or indirect involvement of organisations from different sectors is essential
Intra European Fellowships
  • Support career development of experienced researchers at different stages
  • Seeks to enhance their individual competence and diversification in terms of skill acquisition at multi- or interdisciplinary level and/or by undertaking intersectoral experiences
Industry Academia Partnership & Pathways
  • Aim to open and foster dynamic pathways between public research organisations and private commercial enterprises
International Outgoing Fellowships

 
  • Reinforce the international dimension of European researchers by giving opportunity to be trained and acquire new knowledge in a high- level organisation active in research, established in a other third country specific country

 
International Research Staff Exchange Scheme

 
  • Aimed at strengthening research partnerships through staff exchanges and networking activities between European research organisations and organisations from countries with which the EC has an agreement.
  • Also provide support to research organisations to establish or reinforce long- term research cooperation through a coordinated joint programme of exchange of researchers for short periods

 
International Incoming Fellowships

 
  • Reinforce scientific excellence through knowledge sharing with incoming top-class researchers to work on research projects in Europe, with the view to developing mutually-beneficial research co-operation
COFUND

 
  • Aim at broadening or deepening  individual competence, in particular in terms of acquisition of multi- or interdisciplinary skills or having intersectoral experiences, encouraging mobility between public sector organisations and private companies
European Reintegration Grants
  • Individual grants aimed at researchers who have participated in a Marie Curie action for at least two years.
International Reintegration Grants
  • Individual grants which are aimed at researchers who have carried out research outside Europe for at least 5 years and who wish to return to Europe.

 

My success with the BU EU Networking Fund: Network Building at Conferences

EU

I have always championed conferences as a means for both becoming known within the academic community as well as the opportunities they provide to meeting people with similar research interests and building networks of contacts. It was with these goals in mind I put together a bid to the EU Network Fund to attend the 2012 IPSA (International Political Studies Association) Conference in Madrid on Re-ordering Power: Shifting Boundaries. Happily I was successful and so the planning now starts, and it is important to go to a conference with a plan.

I am already highly involved in the Conference. I am Co-convenor and chair of ‘Political participation in the Web 2.0 era’ panel and Co-convenor and Discussant of ‘Political Marketing: empowering voters or electoral organisation’ panel. I am also presenting a paper on online political marketing and the 2011 Polish election within the panel entitled ‘Civic Participation and Public Sphere’, co-authored with Karolina Koc-Michalska.

IPSA is, as the name suggests, a global organisation connecting scholars of political science from every nation. It is thus a fantastic opportunity to meet and present work to a range of peers. Being involved in convening panels presents even further opportunities for networking.  The themes of my panels relate to a number of key questions regarding strategic political communication and voter engagement, in particular how campaigning (during elections or as part of the permanent campaign) and communication by representatives is evolving due to its adaptation for digital media and with what impact. These themes link with work I want to develop for a COST initiative. COST funding streams are designed for building partnerships. The initial stage is to propose an idea under an open call for a network, to be completed by March 30th. If this is successful the idea must then developed and fully costed for the second round, the shortlisted candidates then must present their ideas prior to final acceptance.

The idea for the network is how interactive communication technologies can contribute to democracy. The proposed project is to focus on patterns of influence online, basically how representatives (parliamentarians, lobby group members and media elites) and independent actors and citizens meet online (within social networks, on forums or through use of weblog tools), how they interact and whether influence is unidirectional from elite outwards or multi-directional. The aim is to develop a model of best practice for the use of Web 2.0 tools and platforms for those active in politics who seek to engage with citizens. This initiative is central to new styles of communication emerging in theUSAunder the Obama administration but is also being encouraged by the European Parliament in order to legitimise that legislature as well as by numerous political think tanks. Therefore, there are indications that many official bodies, from legislatures to NGOs, are pushing for greater use of the online environment to reconnect citizens to electoral politics. To be successful this project requires input from a range of scholars from various disciplines including political science, communication studies and ICT development.

The conference will allow, following submission of the initial proposal, to develop ideas, from both theoretical and methodological perspectives, gain firm commitments to collaborate within a network, either one funded through the COSTinitiative or by other means, and apportion tasks required for successful completion of a large bid. Furthermore, the event offers opportunities to meet and set out clear plans for development of the research agenda, identify further potential participants either at the conference or though contacts made there, and co-ordinate future communication. Central to this, particularly while awaiting the outcome of funding bids, will be the creation of an online space to share ideas, literature, calls for papers and general discussion points to maintain communication and so the cohesion and enthusiasm of partners – possibly a Google group of similar space for closed discussion and sharing. That is the plan. I am all set for some network building.

EC Work Programme 2012 is unleashed!

EU

The European Commission’s Work Programme for 2012 has been adopted! This document outlines political priorities and actions to be delivered. The 2012 programme is focussed on fostering a sustainable and job-rich economic recovery, reflecting the Europe 2020 strategy and its flagship initiatives and is built on three overarching priorities:

  • Building a Europe of stability and responsibility;
  • Building a Union of growth and solidarity; and
  • Giving the EU an effective voice in the wider world.

We have a Draft Copy of the FP7 Nanotechnologies Work Programme!

EU

I’ve managed to obtain a draft version of the FP7  NMP Work Programme which features the calls for proposals to be released in 2012. This is just a draft and therefore subject to change but it gives you a great idea as to what the European Commission are looking to fund. The Work Programme is a tedious read so I’ve summarised the info on funding in there for you; the aim of the call etc. I have bookmarked the document so you can jump straight to the call that interests you from the front page.

As this document is highly confidential I have placed it on our I drive; it is strictly forbidden to circulate this outside of BU! I:\R&KEO\Public\RDU\Draft Work Programmes for 2012-13

There are also the drafts for Environment, Health, ICT and Food, Agriculture, Fisheries & Biotechnology in there too which I’ve blogged about previously.
The final official version of the Work Programmes aren’t released until July 2012 so this gives you a fantastic head start to preparing a submission.

I will summarise the other themes as soon as I get the drafts through so keep your eyes peeled on this blog for them!

Congratulations to our EUNF successful applicants & a reminder to apply!

EU

Well done to John Oliver (MS), Darren Lilleker (MS) and Hanna Janta (ST) who have all been awarded grants through the EU Networking Fund (EUNF) to help them gain collaborators for EU research projects. The EUNF is still open for applications, but with one-third of our budget for this scheme already gone, if you want to apply you better act fast!

More details on the EUNF can be found on my previous blogpost, along with details of the EU Academic Development Scheme which closes on 23.01.12. More details on both schemes will also be presented at the EU Showcase Event THIS FRIDAY so why not sign up?

What is Erasmus Mundus?

EU

What is Erasmus Mundus?

Erasmus Mundus is a European Commission funded programme which provides support to organisations (such as BU) as a whole in order to establish partnerships and to individual researchers, students or professional support staff in order to study/ research/ teach. The programme is based on the following principles:

  • To promote mobility at all level of studies for students (undergraduates and masters),doctoral candidates, researchers, academic and administrative staff
  • To enhance the quality of European higher education
  • To promote dialogue and understanding between people and cultures through cooperation with other countries
  • To contribute to the development of human resources and the international cooperation capacity of Higher education institutions in Third Countries (such as the USA, Zambia, South Africa, India and Chile) by increasing mobility between the European Union and these countries

What type of funding is available?

There are 3 different strands of funding:
Action 1: Joint Programmes (including scholarships)
This Action will foster cooperation between higher education institutions and academic staff in Europe and Third Countries with a view to creating poles of excellence and providing highly trained human resources. Joint programmes of outstanding academic quality are designed and implemented by a consortium of European universities from at least 3 different countries. Consortia may also include universities from other parts of the world. Scholarships / fellowships are open to higher education students and academics from all over the world. Programmes include obligatory study and research periods, in at least two universities, and award recognised double, multiple or joint degrees. Action 1 provides:
• Support for high-quality joint masters courses and doctoral programmes offered by a consortium of European, and possibly Third Country, higher education institutions. Other types of organisations concerned by the content and outcomes of the joint programme can participate in the consortium.
• Scholarships/fellowships for Third Country and European students/doctoral candidates to follow these Erasmus Mundus joint masters’ courses and doctoral programmes.
• Short-term scholarships for Third Country and European academics to carry out research or teaching assignments as part of the joint masters programmes.

Action 2: Partnerships with Third Country higher education institutions and scholarships for mobility
Partnerships in the framework of Erasmus Mundus 2009-2013 are the basis for enhancing academic cooperation and exchanges of students and academics, contributing to the socio-economic development of non-EU countries targeted by EU external cooperation policy. Consortia must include a minimum of 5 higher education institutions from at least 3 European countries and a number of higher education institutions from targeted non European regions. Special attention is given to disadvantaged groups and populations in vulnerable situations. Action 2 provides:
1. Support for the establishment of cooperation partnerships between European higher education institutions and higher education institutions from targeted Third Countries with the objective of organising and implementing structured individual mobility arrangements between the European and Third Country partners.
2. Scholarships of various lengths – depending on the priorities defined for the Third Country concerned, the level of studies or the particular arrangements agreed within the partnership – for European and Third-Country individuals (students, scholars, researchers, professionals).
Action 2 activities are funded by different financial instruments available in the context of the External Relations activities of the Union (i.e. the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument, the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance, the Development Cooperation and Economic Cooperation Policy Instrument, the European Development Fund and the Industrialised Countries Instrument). Because of the diversity in the policy objectives covered by these financial instruments, and the different needs and priorities of the Third Countries concerned, Action 2 implementation rules may vary considerably from one year to another and from one partner country to another.

Action 3: Promotion of European higher education
Action 3 promotes European higher education through measures enhancing the attractiveness of Europe as an educational destination and a centre of excellence at world level. Action 3 projects should contribute to:
1. the promotion and awareness raising of the European higher education sector as well as the relevant cooperation programmes and funding schemes;
2. the dissemination of the programme’s results and examples of good practice;
3. the exploitation of these results at institutional and individual level.
This Action provides support to activities related to the international dimension of all aspects of higher education, such as promotion, accessibility, quality assurance, credit recognition, mutual recognition of qualifications, curriculum development and mobility.
Activities can be implemented by mixed networks of organisations active in the field of higher education composed of at least 3 participating organisations from European countries and 1 from Third Countries.

What kind of activities are included?

Funding can be used for a range of activities, depending on the applicant, as the following table illustrates:

Higher education institutions organised into consortia/partnerships

 

 Higher education institutions can participate in:

  •  Consortia to develop and implement joint masters/doctoral programmes (Action 1); 
  • Partnerships (Action 2);
  • Consortia to develop and implement promotion projects (Action 3).
Other bodies

 

 Other bodies active in the field of higher education and research:

• Other public or private bodies active in the field of education and research can participate in:
– Consortia to develop and implement joint masters/doctoral programmes (Action 1).
– Consortia to develop and implement promotion projects (Action 3).

• Enterprises and other employers can participate in:
 – Consortia to develop and implement joint doctoral programmes (Action 1).

• Erasmus Mundus National Structures can participate in:
– Consortia to develop and implement promotion projects (Action 3).

Other bodies which could be particularly relevant for the objectives and activities of the programme:

• Associates partners from the eligible countries can be involved in the Partnerships (Action 2). They play an active role in the action but they are not beneficiaries and may not receive funding from the grant.
Students and academics

 

 • Students in higher education can receive scholarships for:
– Undergraduate studies (Action 2);
– Masters studies (Actions 1 and 2); • Doctoral candidates can receive fellowships for:
– Doctoral studies (Actions 1 and 2);
– Post-doctoral studies (Action 2);• Teachers and researchers can receive fellowships for:
– Teaching and research periods (Actions 1 and 2);• Other academic staff can receive scholarships / fellowships under Actions 1 and 2

What is the application process?

The Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) is responsible for the management of all three actions of Erasmus Mundus, under the supervision of the Directorate-General for Education and Culture (DG EAC of the European Commission) and EuropeAid Development and Cooperation (DG DEVCO). This means applications must be made to them directly. The process of application is dependent on who is submitting the proposal.
Institutions organised into consortia/partnerships: Higher education institutions and organisations active in the field of higher education have to apply centrally to the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency in accordance with the application conditions and timetable defined in the Programme Guide and the relevant Call for Proposals. There must be one co-ordinating/applicant institution that submits the application on behalf of the consortium/partnership/network of participating organisations Applicants must be located in an eligible applicant country as defined in the Programme Guide.
Scholarships and fellowships: Students, doctoral candidates, teachers, researchers and other academic staff should address their applications directly to the selected Erasmus Mundus Masters and doctoral programmes (Action 1) and to the selected Erasmus Mundus partnerships (Action 2), in accordance with the application conditions defined by the selected consortium/partnership.

What costs are covered?

Institutions organised into consortia/partnerships: Consortia/partnerships selected under Actions 1 and 2 receive lump-sum amounts for the implementation of their activities and a number of scholarships to award to the best applicants. Proposals selected under Action 3 are co-funded up to a maximum of 75% of their costs.
Scholarships and fellowships: Scholarship amounts can vary according to the level of studies/teaching/research, their duration (3 months to 3 years) and the grantee’s nationality (scholarships for non-EU individuals are higher than for EU individuals).

The Programme Guide provides all the necessary information on the application conditions and criteria corresponding to each of the 3 Programme Actions. Regular Calls for Proposals are published to specify the activities, the application criteria and the budgetary allocations relevant to the call concerned.

New EU Energy Roadmap 2050 – essential to read for FP7 Energy submissions!

EU

The European Commission has adopted the ‘Energy Roadmap 2050’ which is intended to be the basis for developing a long-term EU framework for energy. If you’re interested in applying for calls under the FP7 Energy theme, then you should familiarise yourself with the overarching principles to strengthen your application.

The Energy Roadmap 2050 sets out the challenges posed by delivering the EU’s decarbonisation objective, while at the same time ensuring security of energy supply and competitiveness, by analysing a set of scenarios to describe the consequences of a carbon free energy system and the resulting necessary policy framework. Key points from the Roadmap include:

  • Decarbonisation of the energy system is technically and economically feasible
  • Energy efficiency and renewable energy are critical
  • Early investments cost less
  • Contain the increase of prices
  • Economies of scale are needed

If you’re thinking of applying for Energy FP7, read the Energy Roadmap 2050 Communication and FAQs on the Roadmap.

2 EU events: Clean Sky Info Day and Social Innovation conference (covering social media) – registration open!

EU

Clean Sky JTI Workshop and Information Day: The Clean Sky Joint Technology Initiative (JTI) will be holding a workshop on selected topics of the Clean Sky Call for Proposals 11 on 19 January and an information day on the Clean Sky Call for Proposals 11 on 20 January. Both events are in Brussels, with free participation, but registration is compulsory. The workshop on selected topics of the Call will focus on those topics which are critical to the progress of the programme or are complex. Applicants will have the opportunity to seek clarification on the list of selected topics.  The information day  on the Clean Sky Call for Proposals will include presentations on the topics included in the calls; discussions on the evaluation procedure and contractual agreements; and advice and tips on submitting a successful proposal. There will also be the opportunity to have a short meeting with Clean Sky Joint Undertaking staff during the information day.

2012 EU Research Forum Stakeholders’ Conference on Research and Social Innovation : The European Foundation Centre (EFC)’s Research Forum will hold its next Stakeholder’s Conference in Barcelona on 9-10 February 2012.The theme for the conference will be ‘Research and social innovation: the potential for European foundations to pave the way’. The conference will include sessions on:

  • The potential for foundations to spearhead socially innovative research;
  • The impact of social media and networks on research and social innovation;
  • Open Access and the challenge of quality assurance; and
  • Public participation in science: new modes of interaction.

Registration is on the European Foundation Centre’s website.